A disk drive is subject to vibration which may cause errors in data storage operations. The disk drive is typically contained in a housing structure. The disk drive and the housing structure together are referred to as a storage module. One or more storage modules may be installed in a storage shelf, cabinet, or other enclosure to form a storage subsystem. The sources of vibration may be the disk drive itself, adjacent disk drives in the storage subsystem or other sources internal or external to the enclosure.
The linear and rotary vibration of the disk drive can cause the recording head inside the drive to be off-position. The results of this vibration may include error conditions, such as re-attempted read and write operations, and data corruption. Re-attempted read and write operations increase the latency of the storage system. As storage density on disks increases, so does the probability of data corruption.
Prior art solutions to the vibration problem include friction pads placed on the sides of the storage module in order to reduce the movement of the storage module within the subsystem enclosure. In another attempted solution, plastic shims were inserted between the storage module and the enclosure in which the storage module was installed in order to reduce clearance spaces. Other items which were used to fill the clearance space and reduce vibration include coiled springs and pieces of folded cardboard. Another method for reducing vibration involved inserting foam button-shaped pads between the disk drive and the internal surfaces of the housing structure in which it was installed.
It remains desirable to have a means of damping disk drive vibration.